Birthday Boy

By PJ Carmichael

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Photo by Charlotte Rainville

Jersey-bound. A wedding to attend. The
vehicle filled with clean clothes, laundry, food
and drinks, camping gear, and eager souls. Some-
where I’ve never been, places I haven’t seen.
Four wheels at home on the highway. The
months behind us. The summer ends slowly.
Ice cream sundaes and dinner dates, arcades
and boardwalks, sunsets and morning snuggles.
The tenderness and fragility of our lives. New
chapters in the neverending story. A library
of ineffable emotion. Bicycle rides, stretches
of shoreline, grilling outdoors, and tending to
the garden. A sweet tooth ordering dessert.
Your head resting on my shoulder, sleepy eyes
behind lilac glasses. Grapes we found growing
by the side of the trail. A brown paper bag
holding hidden treasures. Sandalwood soap.
Flame-kissed. Wood-burning stove keeping
us warm. Licorice tea. Mushrooms popping
up left and right. Doing dishes, kayaking
in the bay. Mammoth sunflowers. Picking
raspberries, both red and blonde. A blue heron
gliding before us both. Four sheep and a
flashlight. Birthday cake. A turtle slowly
crossing the road. Cedar tree in front of
the house, wild turkeys roaming the yard.
Foliage in full effect, pumpkins making their
orange debut, roadside farmstands inviting
us to visit, warm apple cider in hand-
made vessels, the music soft and
sweet in this cozy little cabin.